Coal plow

ABSTRACT

A coal plow includes a guide beam that is movable lengthwise along a coal face and that has a mining side and a conveyor side. Projecting horizontally from the mining side of the beam is an axle, on which a supporting member is mounted for rocking movement parallel to the beam. The degree of rocking is limited by means carried by the beam. At opposite ends of the supporting member there are blade carriers hinged thereto on axes diverging downwardly. Mounted on the lower end of each carrier is a bottom plow blade, while secured to the same carrier is a plurality of plow blades disposed in an inclined row that extends upwardly from the bottom blade. The blades are in positions to swing with their carrier away from the guide beam.

United States Patent Frenyo et al. [451 July 11, 1972 COAL PLOW 2,795,401 6/1957 Bobersen ..299/34 x [72] Inventors: Pal Frenyo; Karl-Heinz Hater; Relrnund :211:2 Karim, all of Bochmm Wm" Pen, Gelsenkirchen, all of Germany Primal? Examiner Emcsi R Purser [73] Assignee: Gebr. Elclthofl Maachlnenlabrilr und Altamey-Brown, Murray, Flick & Peckham Elsengleeserei Gmbll, Bochum, Germany 221 Filed: m.31,191o [57] ABSTRACT A coal plow includes a guide beam that is movable lengthwise [2 n App! along a coal face and that has a mining side and a conveyor side. Projecting horizontally from the mining side of the beam [30] Foreign Application Priority Data is an axle, on which a supporting member is mounted for rocking movement parallel to the beam. The degree of Jan. 9, 1970 Germany ..P 20 00 748.I rocking is limited by means carried by he beam. At opposite ends of the supporting member there are blade carriers hinged (gl "299$:i thereto on axes diverging downwardly. Mounted on the lower 58] i 299/32 34 end of each carrier is a bottom plow blade, while secured to the same carrier is a plurality of plow blades disposed in an [56] Rdmnm Cmd inclined row that extends upwardly from the bottom blade. The blades are in positions to swing with their carrier away UNITED STATES PATENTS from the guide beam.

2,745,651 5/ I956 Hemnann ..299/34 10 Chins 7 Drawing lures PKTENTEDJUL 1 1 1912 3.675 971 sum 1 OF A INVENTORS PAL FRENYO KARL-HEINZ HAFER REIMUND KARKUTT WALTER PELKA ATTORNEYS PIIWMJIILII m2 xv I I 2 .MJ 9 e F VA krill! INVENTORS PAL FRENYO KARLHEINZ HAFER REIMUND KARKUTT WALTER PELKA 5AM), W 4 7 44 4. ATTORNEYS PKTENTEDJuL 11 m2 3, 675.97 1

saw 3 BF 4 Fig. 3

INVEN TORS PAL ENYO KAR E HAFER REIMUND RKUTT WALTER PELKA ATTORNEYS INVENfORS KARKUTT ELKA PIYENTEML 1 1 m2 SHEET Q CF 4 PAL FRENYO KARL-HEINZ HAFER REIMUND WALTER P BY ATTORNEYS COAL PLOW The prior art includes coal plows with a diagonally divided guide beam and a diagonally divided tool support. The two adjacent ends of the guide beam halves or tool support halves are connected to each other by an articulation that is provided with a horizontal axle extending toward the working face of the mine. They can be rotated independently of each other. Moreover, coal plows are known in which the guide beam and the tool support are each designed in one part, with an articulation connecting the beam and tool support in such a way that the support can swing to a limited extent and direct the cutting tools at the ends of the plow alternately into working position. Since the articulations consist of a joumal that is in a plane inclined 45 to the working face and in which the tool support also moves, the cutting tools execute a motion in a horizontal plane as well as in a vertical plane with each adjusting motion of the tool support. Consequently, they penetrate the coal face and the floor or foot wall more deeply at the working or leading end of the plow, but are removed from the face and the foot wall at the opposite end. With coal plows designed in this way, the tool support is divided in the longitudinal direction and the lower part, as described, is pivoted about the guide beam journal which is inclined at 45. The upper part of the tool support pivots about a horizontal axle of the swingable lower part. The axle is directed at right angles to the working face. AnY contact of the plow parts, which follow the front blade, with the hanging wall is suppressed and the friction between the blade body and the working face is reduced.

Furthermore, the prior art includes coal plows in which the blade supports at both ends of the plow can each be swung about an axis and engage, under the cutting pressure, stops that limit the swing. With such plows the axes of rotation are in a plane parallel to the coal face and are inclined at approximately a 45 angle to the mine floor or foot wall. The two axes of rotation diverge downwardly. The front blade support therefore can be swung out to the working face and the back blade support swung away from it. However, the sloping positions of the two axes of rotation produce two motion cornponents. One is directed horizontally and the other is directed vertically. The leading or working blades of the plow thus move toward the foot wall, upon the swinging of their support, in addition to moving deeper into the working face. The motion toward the foot wall brings the bottom blade not only deeper into the working face but also deeper into the floor of the mine passage. The cutting burden and depth of penetration of the bottom blade are dependent upon each other with all known coal plows. Thus, each change in the depth of cut is also accompanied by a change in the depth of the bottom blades penetration into the foot wall. This action is undesirable when only the vertical position of the bottom blade is to be adjusted in order to separate the coal cleanly from the foot wall or to suppress climbing motion of the face conveyor or even to hold the plow at the foot wall better.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a coal plow which automatically swings the front plow blades into its working position and retracts the back plow blades from the working face, which can leave the depth of cut into the coal face unchanged during adjustment of the height of the bottom blade, and which allows the vertical position of the leading bottom blade to be adjusted accurately while maintaining a constant cutting depth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a perspective view;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the plow, with part of it broken away in an inclined section substantially along line lI-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line llllll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line IV- IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view of the horizontal axle, partly in section;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross section of a modified stop member; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the mining side of a modified plow.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. a coal plow has a body formed from a long guide beam I that slides along the floor or foot wall of a coal mine substantially parallel to a long coal face 2. The side of the beam facing the coal face is called the mining side herein, and the opposite side of the beam is called the conveyor side. The guide beam has a base resting flat on the mine floor and the beam is provided with a longitudinal channel 3 that opens at its conveyor side. At the conveyor side there is a guide rail 4 that extends along the coal face and rests on the mine floor. A coal conveyor 6 of conventional form rests on an outtumed foot 7 of the rail. The bottom of the guide rail is provided with an upwardly extending guide slot, into which an upwardly extending flange 8 on the base of the beam projects. Extending along the top of the rail and secured to it is a tubular guide 9. The opposite ends of the beam are provided with integral hook portions 11 that hook over the tubular guide and can slide along it. The guide rail is provided at longitudinally spaced intervals with portions 12 that extend laterally into the beam channel and are shaped to provide upper and lower horizontal passages 13 and 14. A chain 16 extends through the upper passages and around suitable driving means (not shown) at opposite ends of the guide rail and then back through the lower passages for connection to an anchor 17 projecting into the channel from the beam. The chain pulls the guide beam back and forth along the guide rail in a well known manner.

Projecting from the mining face of the guide beam is a horizontal axle 18 as shown in FIG. 3, on which a heavy supporting member 19 is mounted for rocking motion parallel to the beam. To hold the supporting member on the axle. the projecting end of the axle is provided with a peripheral recess 20, in which is disposed a two part ring 21 that projects radially from the axle and engages the adjoining side of the supporting member. This ring is held in place by means of a solid cover ring 22 that encircles the two part ring and the projecting end of the axle. To retain the cover ring in position, it is provided with one or more radial passages 23 in line with similar passages in the end of the axle. Locking pins 24 are driven into these passages. To make it easy to remove the pins when desired, the end of the axle may be provided with a central recess 25, into which the pins can be driven from the passages. This recess preferably has a diameter equal at least to a third of the diameter of the axle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opposite ends of supporting member 19 are inclined upwardly toward each other. Extending along each end of this member is a plow blade carrier 26. It is hinged to the supporting member by a hinge pin 27 (FIG. 2) extending through interengaging lugs on the carrier and supporting member. The two hinge pins are disposed in a substantially vertical plane that is perpendicular to the axis of axle l8, and the pins diverge downwardly. Preferably, the two pins are disposed at an angle of about to each other. The lower end of each blade carrier is provided with a bottom plow blade 28. When the plow is moving along the guide rail, the leading bottom blade rests on the mine floor. Above this blade is a row of additional plow blades 29, preferably in the form of conical bits. The blades are arranged in an inclined row that is substantially parallel to the adjacent hinge pin. The blades on each carrier extend toward the adjacent end of the guide beam but are slanted away from the beam so that they can dig into the coal face.

Rigidly mounted on top of the central portion of the guide beam are superimposed blocks 31, which support plow blades 32 that are inclined in the same general directiOn as the blades on the underlying carriers. Blades 32 are adjustable toward and away from the coal face.

When the plow is moved along the guide rail, the leading end of supporting member 19 tilts down and the leading blade carrier 26 and its blades are swung toward the coal face on the hinge pin 27 to cause the blades to cut into the coal face. The distance the carrier can rotate on its hinge pin can be limited by suitable adjustable means (not shown), which may be shims or screws. Due to the inclination of the hinge pin, the further out the blades are swung, the lower the bottom blade 28 will be moved. This lowering of the bottom blade generally is undesirable, however, because it would dig into the foot wall and thereby cut a trench in the mine floor. To prevent this from happening or to control it, a stop member is mounted on the guide beam beneath the leading end of supporting member 19. in fact, there are two of such stops located on opposite sides of a vertical plane containing the axis of axle 18. Each stop member may be a bushing 34 provided with a central passage receiving a shaft 35 projecting from the mining side of the guide beam. By using the proper size bushing, the amount that the supporting member can tilt down in front of the axle can be controlled, and that will determine the vertical position of the bottom blade.

Instead of doing this with bushings of different diameters, a

single bushing can be used as shown in FIG. 6, in which the shaft passage is off center so that by rotating the bushing 36 on the shaft 37 a higher or lower surface will be provided. To hold the bushing in the desired position, it may be provided with a radial passage 38, in which there is a spring-pressed ball 39 that projects into any one of several circumferentially spaced notches 40 in the shaft. The ball serves as a detent to hold the bushing in the position to which it is turned. Turning of the bushing can be facilitated by providing it with peripheral recesses 41, in which a tool can be inserted to turn it.

In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the stop bushings 43, which may be removable or eccentric, have been moved up and mounted on shafts 44 projecting from near the top of the guide beam 45. Rigidly mounted on top of the tapered supporting member 46 is a bar 47 that extends outwardly over both bushings. When the supporting member is not tilted, this bar is spaced from both bushings, but when the supporting member is tilted the bar will engage the top of one bushing or the other to limit the degree of tilting. Bushings in this location are more accessible than beneath the supporting member.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. A coal plow comprising a guide beam adapted to be moved lengthwise along a coal face and having a mining side and a conveyor side, an axle projecting horizontally from the mining side of the beam, a supporting member mounted on said axle for rocking thereon parallel to the beam, means carried by said beam for limiting the degree of rocking of said member, a blade carrier at each end of said supporting member, means hinging said carriers to said member on axes diverging downwardly in a substantially vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of said axle, a bottom plow blade mounted on the lower end of each carrier, and a plurality of plow blades disposed in an inclined row that extends upwardly from each bottom blade and secured to the same carrier, said blades being in positions to swing with the carriers away from said beam.

2. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said hinge axes are disposed at substantially to each other.

3. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which each of said rows of plow blades is substantially parallel to the adjacent hinge axis.

4. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rockinglimiting means include stop members, and means removably connecting the stop members to the guide beam in positions for engagement by said supporting member when it is rocked.

5. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rockinglimiting means include eccentric stop members, and adjustable means connecting them with the guide beam to vary the extent to which said sup rting membercan be melted. I

6. A coal plow acco ing to claim 1, m which sa|d rockinglimiting means include a pair of bushings, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining side of the guide beam below said supporting member and on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle, said bushings being removably mounted on said shafts.

7. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rockinglimiting means include a pair of bushing, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining said of the guide beam on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle, the bushings being provided with off-center passages therethrough receiving said shafts, and means holding the bushings in different rotated positions around the shafts.

8 A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rockinglimiting means include a pair of bushings, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining side of the guide beam above said supporting member and on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle.

9. A coal plow according to claim I, in which said axle projects from said supporting member and is provided with a peripheral recess, the plow including a multi-part ring disposed in said recess and projecting radially therefrom in overlapping engagement with the adjacent side of said supporting member, a cover ring encircling the multi-part ring, and detachable means for holding the cover ring in place on said axle.

10. A coal plow according to claim 9, in which the end face of said axle is provided with a central recess, the side wall of said central recess is provided with a radial passage extending out to the periphery of the axle outwardly of the multi-part ring, and said detachable means include a radial pin extending through the cover ring outwardly of the multi-part ring and into said radial passage.

i l i 

1. A coal plow comprising a guide beam adapted to be moved lengthwise along a coal face and having a mining side and a conveyor side, an axle projecting horizontally from the mining side of the beam, a supporting member mounted on said axle for rocking thereon parallel to the beam, means carried by said beam for limiting the degree of rocking of said member, a blade carrier at each end of said supporting member, means hinging said carriers to said member on axes diverging downwardly in a substantially vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of said axle, a bottom plow blade mounted on the lower end of each carrier, and a plurality of plow blades disposed in an inclined row that extends upwardly from each bottom blade and secured to the same carrier, said blades being in positions to swing with the carriers away from said beam.
 2. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said hinge axes are disposed at substantially 90* to each other.
 3. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which each of said rows of plow blades is substantially parallel to the adjacent hinge axis.
 4. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rocking-limiting means include stop members, and means removably connecting the stop members to the guide beam in positions for engagement by said supporting member when it is rocked.
 5. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rocking-limiting means include eccentric stop members, and adjustable means connecting them with the guide beam to vary the extent to which said supporting member can be rocked.
 6. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rocking-limiting means include a pair of bushings, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining side of the guide beam below said supporting member and on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle, said bushings being removably mounted on said shafts.
 7. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rocking-limiting means include a pair of bushing, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining said of the guide beam on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle, the bushings being provided with off-center passages therethrough receiving said shafts, and means holding the bushings in different rotated positions around the shafts. 8 A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said rocking-limiting means include a pair of bushings, and a pair of shafts projecting from the mining side of the guide beam above said supporting member and on opposite sides of a vertical plane that contains the axis of said axle.
 9. A coal plow according to claim 1, in which said axle projects from said supporting member and is provided with a peripheral recess, the plow including a multi-part ring disposed in said recess and projecting radially therefrom in overlapping engagement with the adjacent side of said supporting member, a cover ring encircling the multi-part ring, and detachable means for holding the cover ring in place on said axle.
 10. A coal plow according to claim 9, in which the end face of said axle is provided with a central recess, the side wall of said central recess is provided with a radial passage extending out to the periphery of the axle outwardly of the multi-part ring, and said detachable means include a radial pin extending through the cover ring outwardly of the multi-part ring and into said radial passage. 